Monday, November 05, 2007

I'll Be Gone For Most of November


Take Two!
I began a road trip at the first of last month as I shared elsewhere on this blog, but had to cancel it. The main purpose of that trip (seeing family and friends in Florida and North Georgia) however seems to have been important for me and so tomorrow I'm off again, this time by plane though.

What this means, as per this blog, my website and my ongoing Internet ministry and other activities, is that for most of November I wont be online.

I intend to post here occasionally as Net access allows during November but for the most part I will be unavailable. I wont have the laptop with me this time.

I'd like to invite all my friends to join and participate in my new group, Politics and Religion Matter (Click Here) and of course to visit AllFaith.com, however I will be largely absent for the next month.

Please pray for me,
~John of AllFaith

Sunday, November 04, 2007

Kucinich Will Impeach Cheney!


Obviously I'm no fan of Rep. Dennis Kucinich but hip hip hooray! He is going forward with impeachment of at least one of these demons. If it works maybe we'll have Erik Prince as president of US vice!

Kucinich Will Impeach Cheney

Rep. Dennis Kucinich introduced H.Res. 333 in April to impeach Vice President Cheney for his pre-war lies about Iraq and for threatening an invasion of Iran. And thanks to your heroic grassroots efforts, there are 21 co-sponsors.

Speaker Pelosi blocked Judiciary Committee hearings on the bill, but Rep. Kucinich will force a floor vote on Tuesday using his right of personal privilege.

Kucinich's courageous act will put members of the House on record. Are they going to fulfill their oath of office to "defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic"? Or will they support a Vice President whose lies about Iraq cost the lives of nearly 4,000 Americans and possibly $2.4 trillion in our tax dollars - and whose lies about Iran threaten to start World War III?

Call your Representative (not Senators) and tell them to support Kucinich's resolution to impeach Dick Cheney, H.Res. 333:
800-828-0498, 800-862-5530, 800-833-6354

More actions to support Kucinich's impeachment resolution:
http://impeachcheney.org

Kucinich explains this week's vote:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSbGUOOQCpU

Brave New Films Video about Cheney's impeachable offenses:
http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/4987-impeach-dick-cheney


Will this go anywhere?

If we don't support the effort it certainly won't, so Call your Representative!






Saturday, November 03, 2007

Ben Stein's Thoughts on Religion and Politics in the US

Thoughts from Ben Stein
What are your thoughts?

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.


My confession:


I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees.

It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship Nick and Jessica and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where Nick and Jessica came from and where the America we knew went to.

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.

Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Katrina) Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'

In light of recent events...terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found recently) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said OK.

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Are you laughing?

Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.

Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.

Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not then just discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in. My Best Regards.


Honestly and respectfully,


Ben Stein

Announcing the NEW Politics and Religion Matters Group!

Hi everyone,
I've just created a new Multiply group and YOU are invited!


The propose of this group is to provide a forum for frank and open conversation about the issues of the day, be they religion, politics or whatever. People on ALL sides of the issues are welcome to share and discuss their views.

Members are encouraged to post and comment or to just read. This is a group for us all.

In the comment sections of the group please don't include any images. They will be deleted to make it easier to read the replies.

If you post a blog or "note" at the group feel free to use images in your posts of course.

You are welcome in this new group regardless of your views AND everyone is welcome to debate your views. This way we all learn and grow.

Flaming is not acceptable. Disagreement is.

Do be considerate as to the length of post and so on.

If group moderation becomes necessary it will be done, but I'd prefer to keep things as free and open as possible.

Thanks!
I hope to see you there!
~John of AllFaith
http://johnofallfaith.multiply.com

Welcome to the group!

Welcome to Politics and Religion MatterNov 3, 2007

I'm glad you've joined "Politics and Religion Matter."

The propose of this group is to provide a forum for frank and open conversation about the issues of the day, be they religion, politics or whatever.

You are encouraged to post and comment your thoughts here.

In the comment sections please don't include any images. They will be deleted to make it easier to read the replies.

If you post a blog or "note" feel free to use images in your posts of course.

You are welcome here regardless of your views. Everyone is welcome to debate your views.

Flaming is not acceptable. Debate is. Keep it civil and everything will be cool.

Do be considerate as to the length of your post and so on.

If group moderation becomes necessary it will be done, but I'd prefer to keep things as free and open as possible.

Thanks!
~John of AllFaith
http://johnofallfaith.multiply.com

Friday, November 02, 2007

Jewish GOP donors go for Rudy


THE most important thing we can do
visa-vie this election:
Stop Hillary!
ANYONE currently running would be better than Hillary

I decided a while ago to add my support to Rudy as the least offensive Republican candidate with the best chance of stopping the Clinton's return to power (Click Here). I was therefore happy to receive the following information. Jewish Republicans are moving to support the Mayor's campaign.


We the People need to elect someone who unappologetically supports Israel as well as someone who promises to restore the US Constitution and Bill of Rights. I think Rudy is the best of the poor lot we have to choose between.

As of now I plan to vote for John Edwards in the Democratic primary and then for Rudy in the general, assuming that either Hillary or Sheik Obama wins the Dem. nomination. In the unlikely event that Edwards wins I'll decide then which of them to support.

I do think it's vital however that the Demcratic Party be held accountable somehow for betraying those who voted them into office. The first words out of Nancy Pelosi's mouth was to disavow one of the two main reasons we put the Democrats back in office in the first place: Impeaching Bush and Cheney. The second major reason was to stop the war and not only have the Democrats not done that, they have escalated it! These Democratic traitors need to be held accountable! They need to be fired and replaced!

Anyway... here's the story.


Jewish GOP donors go for Rudy

Beth Young

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is emerging as the clear front-runner among top Republican Jewish activists.


WASHINGTON (JTA) -- Rudy Giuliani is emerging among the Republican presidential candidates as the clear favorite of the party's top Jewish activists.

The former New York City mayor significantly outpaced fellow GOP hopefuls John McCain and Mitt Romney in raising money from the 60 board members of the Republican Jewish Coalition. Giuliani also received the most applause last week at the RJC's candidates forum.

The RJC is widely seen as the party's hub of Jewish involvement, boasting a board that includes top donors and presidential confidants, as well as former White House spokesman Ari Fleischer.

Giuliani, having supported abortion rights and gun control, has amazed many political operatives and pundits with his ability to maintain the lead in national GOP polls, although Romney is the pacesetter in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Some GOP activists say Giuliani's credentials as a two-time mayor of New York and staunch defender of Israel makes him an ideal choice for many Republican Jews.

"I think a lot of New Yorkers like his tough stand on terrorism and his tough stance with regard to Iran getting nukes," said Morrie Amitay, a former executive director of AIPAC and now a vice president at the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs.

According to campaign contribution reports, Giuliani has raised $58,750 from the leaders of the nation's foremost Republican Jewish organization, compared to $35,900 for McCain and $31,200 for Romney. No other GOP candidate has received financial contributions from RJC board members.

Seventeen of the 60 board members gave Giuliani the maximum $4,600 donation allowed for the primary and general election. Many of those same donors gave large sums, though not the maximum, to McCain, a U.S. senator from Arizona, and Romney, a former governor of Massachusetts.

Texas venture capitalist Fred Zeidman was a major donor to President Bush's campaigns in 2000 and 2004, and long has been a McCain supporter. Though he gave the maximum amount to McCain, he also contributed $1,050 to the Giuliani campaign.

"The mayor has governed over New York City, and most of the Jewish population is in New York, Florida and California," said Zeidman, who was appointed by Bush to chair the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Counci.

Zeidman praised Giuliani, but among other issues cited foreign policy experience in saying that McCain was the better choice.

"There's not one thing wrong with Rudy Giuliani's position on Israel, but in John McCain's history you can see that support," he said. "I think we're not picking the lesser of evils. I think we're picking the greater of greats."

Zeidman's son, Jay, a former White House liaison to the Jewish community, worked for McCain until this summer, when the candidate drastically reduced his staff due to budget concerns. The younger Zeidman still plans to vote for McCain.

Another of Bush's former Jewish liaisons, Noam Neusner, worked for Romney's Commonwealth PAC this year. He officially left the campaign, though he remains a supporter.

Neusner penned the speech on Middle East policy that Romney delivered in January at the Herzliya conference, an annual gathering of top leaders of the Israeli security establishment. Romney staked out a hard-line position on confronting Iran.

Still, Neusner said, he isn't surprised that many Repubilcan Jews are backing Giuliani -- at least for now.

"I think what we're seeing in donations is very much a reflection that the great majority of Jewish donors are in the Northeast -- New Jersey and New York," he said. "They've known Giuliani for many years. He's the former mayor of the most Jewish city in the country."

Dr. Ben Chouake, a McCain supporter and the president of NORPAC, a pro-Israel, bipartisan political action committee, echoed the view that geography has helped Giuliani. Despite being a member of the McCain campaign's finance committee, Chouake said he would be equally pleased if Giuliani took the Republican nomination.

Judging from the applause and interviews at the end of the daylong RJC forum last week, rank-and-file members of the group appeared to give Giuliani the edge.

The applause was especially strong when Giuliani reminded Jewish donors of his proven ability to win over voters from both parties.

"I'm the one who can be a coast-to-coast candidate," he said.

His tough talk on Iran also earned long applause.

"I guarantee you," he said, "we will never find out what they will do with nuclear weapons because they're not going to get them."

One audience member, Jeremy Kohn, praised Giuliani for his role in returning a $10 million charitable donation to Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal. After touring Ground Zero shortly after the attacks, the prince drew Giuliani's ire by saying that America's support of the State of Israel led to the terrorist strikes.

Giuliani "was the most decisive and toughest. He's not afraid to offend people. He's not afraid to stand up to them," Kohn said. "If we don't realize who our friends are and who our enemies are, then we can't possibly win. If we do have the moral clarity to act on it, we can't possibly lose."

Lynn Newport of Atlanta also decided after the event to back Giuliani, calling him "my favorite."

"He spoke his mind," Newport said. "I think he had an accurate understanding of the problems we face. He was decisive."

Another attendee, Abigail Rosenthal, voiced support for Giuliani. In the morning she had attended a breakfast with the candidates' wives.

"Mrs. Giuliani and Mrs. Romney had the largest pictures of their husbands," she said. "They're intimate with these men and how they praise them is revealing."